Edge discipline, hit Driskel among Schlereth’s keys to Broncos win

Thumping quarterback Jeff Driskel and maintaining defensive discipline were among “Schlereth and Evans” co-host Mark Schlereth’s keys to “keep the streak alive” for the Denver Broncos.

Here is what Schlereth said was “imperative” for the Broncos to come away with a victory on Sunday:

Be disciplined on the edge

With an athletic quarterback like Jeff Driskel taking over injured Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton, Schlereth said the biggest key for Denver is to stop Cincinnati from a running standpoint, “especially with a new quarterback who’s going to run that zone-read kind of game.”

“Jeff Driskel is a guy that is going to run a lot of the read-option stuff, a lot of the read-zone stuff, and the play-action off of that,” Schlereth said. “So, you’re going to have to be incredibly disciplined on the edge.”

Schlereth said Broncos defenders need to “constrict the edge,” keep their shoulders square and make sure there are “no cutback lanes.”

“If you can do that, you can have success against this offense of the Cincinnati Bengals,” Schlereth said.

Hit Driskel whenever legally possible

With a quarterback who is a running threat in Driskel, Schlereth said it is important for Denver to hit the young signal caller whenever possible.

“Somebody get after him on every single play. Even after the ball is handed off, if he’s faking it, he is live game,” Schlereth said. “So, make sure you take as many shots at Jeff Driskel as you possibly can within in the rulebook. But you need to hit him as often as possible.”

Bottle up Atkins, Dunlap

Denver’s offensive line has the tall task of bottling up two of the NFL’s top defensive linemen in Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunlap.

“They are outstanding,” Schlereth said, adding that the Broncos have to find a way to block them.

Continue to run the Broncos offense

With the season-ending injury to tight end Jeff Heuerman, Schlereth said it’s important for quarterback Case Keenum to “figure out who that tight end is” that he can go to across the middle.

“Make sure that you continue to face and feed that tight end in the middle of the football field as often as possible,” Schlereth said.

Denver has on its roster Matt LaCosse, Brian Parker, and the newly-promoted Temarrick Hemingway at the tight end position.

Also, Schlereth said Keenum needs to continue to take shots in the passing game down the field.

“One to two shots per quarter down the football field,” Schlereth said. “Keep that side of the field open.”

And feeding rookie phenomenon Phillip Lindsay should be a priority too, Schlereth said.

Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @JohnnyHart7.